Capacitive sensor used in quality check to confirm presence of caps on bottles

Summary

In a bottling plant, filled bottles are capped and then shrink-wrapped together to produce rigid packs of bottles. A missing cap or bottle is a serious quality fault that must be eliminated reliably.

Customer Values

Reliable detection of reject packs

Reliable confirmation of pack quantities

Cost effective solution

Simple process and quality control

Specific Product Advantages

Easy adjustment directly on sensor

Robust construction with IP67 protection

Proven reliability

High switching accuracy

Customer Application

A sensing solution is required to ensure that all bottles undergo an individual check to confirm they have been capped. This check takes place immediately before the bottles join the packaging line. Once this quality check has been successfully completed, the bottles will be packed together in specified quantities prior to dispatch. The materials involved in this task make it particularly suitable for capacitive sensing.

Customer Solution

CSS-1301 capacitive sensors have been selected for this application. They have an industrial-grade PPO housing that meets protection class IP 67, which guarantees that these sensors will easily withstand regular cleaning work carried out on the machine. The operating distance can be adjusted directly on the sensors by means of a 20-turn potentiometer.

A single sensor is mounted over the bottle conveyor, forming a gate through which each bottle passes. The CSS-1301 checks for the presence of bottle caps by identifying changes in permittivity. If the sensor detects a bottle neck without a cap, the permittivity will be different from the preset value. Any reject bottle is immediately detected and removed from the line. The sensor also serves to count bottles passing the packaging process to ensure correct pack numbers.